The Enjoyment

Mole had been working very hard all morning, cleaning his little underground home. He was tired and his back got hurt, and now somebody was calling him from above. He threw his broom down and it was time to get outside. He scraped, scratched, and scrabbled, digging busily with his little paws and muttering to himself, "Up we go! Up we go!" He came out into the sunlight and he was rolling in the warm grass of a big meadow. 

"This is wonderful! It is better than cleaning!" He said. Mole felt sunshine and soft breezes. He heard the birds singing. He jumped and ran joyfully all the way across the meadow to the hedge that was along the far side. Everyone else in the meadow was very busy, but mole thought that made it even more fun to be free. Then he came to the edge of a river. Mole had never seen a river before. It glinted, gleamed, and sparkled as it flowed, full of bubbles, swirls, and motion. On seeing that Mole felt really glorious. He loved it. He trotted along the side of the riverbank until he was tired. As he rested on the grassy shore, he noticed a dark hole in the opposite riverbank. He thought dreamily about what a nice snug home it would make. Then he saw a face. A little brown face, with whiskers, minute and neat ears, and thick silky hair. It was the water rat!

"Hello Mole!" said the rat. "Would you like to come with me?" "Oh, yes! Of course. But how??? asked Mole. Rat bent over and unfastened a rope. Then he stepped into a little red and green decorative boat. It was just the perfect size for two animals. Rat rowed across the river and helped Mole to come into the boat. "What a wonderful day!!!" said Mole as the rat started rowing again. "Do you know I've never been in a boat before, in my whole life?" The rat was astonished by hearing this. "It's nice," said Mole as he leaned back in his seat and felt the boat sway lightly under him. "Nice? It's the only thing," said the rat as he rowed. "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing better than simply messing about in boats. It was too late. The boat rowed right to the riverbank. Rat asked, "Why don't we spend the whole day in the river?" Mole waggled his toes and gave a happy sigh. "What a day I'm having!" he said. "Let's start right away!" The mole was so thrilled. He leaned back and let his paw trail in the sparkling and rippling water. Mole asked finally "You really live in the river?"

To his question, the water rat replied that "By it, with it, on it and in it. The river is like family to me. Winter, Summer, Monsoon, Spring, Autumn, it's always fun and exciting." "But isn't it lonely sometimes?" Mole asked being curious to know about it. "Just you and the river, and no one else to talk to?" "No one else too...." Rat smiled. "You're new. You don't know. The riverbank is so crowded nowadays! Others, kingfishers, ducks, everybody busy and happy." They had a lot of interesting conversations while traveling through the boat. At last, the both best friends went to their own houses near the riverbank after enjoying a lot in the river.